


Little One

by acornandroid



Series: Requests [6]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Ralph finds a kitten, basically its just cute af okay, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 14:03:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15708708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acornandroid/pseuds/acornandroid
Summary: Ralph hears a few noises outside of what he has made his home. It sounds like someone is breaking in, but it turns out to be not entirely what he expected.





	Little One

**Author's Note:**

> Fic for @magechloe on twitter

Ralph was well aware that Ralph was jittery. Every little sound around the abandoned house that he had taken refuge in made him nervous. So, when Ralph first heard the crash outside he felt the warning signs start to flash in quick succession.

 

The LED cycled quick circles of red at his temple as he went to go hide himself away.

 

Ralph needed to be safe. It was important Ralph was safe. Ralph didn’t want to get hurt again. If Ralph didn’t want to get hurt again then Ralph needed to hide away.

 

The offending sound happened again the instant Ralph tucked himself away under the stairs. If he sat just right and perfectly still he would remain hidden. There was enough debris piled over here strategically that offending humans never thought to look. It kept him safe from the outside and hidden away from offending eyes.

 

As he waited in tense silence, Ralph noted that there were no human footsteps of any kind either within or outside the house. Instead, the sound seemed like something had just been knocked on its side. Ralph frowned faintly, his LED still flickering a quick paced red. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of all this.

 

Humans usually tended to break in by now and make themselves at home. He stayed stashed away for what felt like an eternity. His internal clock was broken beyond self-repair which left him no way to rationalize any passage of normal time.

 

After another stretch of eons, Ralph finally convinced himself to move. He had been bouncing back and forth between the thoughts, whispering them over and over in a quick mutter.

 

“Ralph needs to hide…” He mumbled to himself, his grip on the knife tightening. “Ralph should move though. Ralph should investigate.”

 

His eyes scanned over the floor in front of himself quickly, rocking back and forth before finally completely emerging. The android was entirely on alert as he slipped from his hiding spot, freezing in the middle of the room at the next sound he heard.

 

_‘Meow’_

 

Ralph’s eyes skirted frantically around the expanse of space—and fell on a small mound of fluff that was standing in the middle of the room.

 

He knew what a kitten was. He had seen pictures of them before and seen them passing being carried by children in the streets or a new family to go home with. Never before had Ralph seen one so close.

 

It was a small thing, a little raggedy looking. An orange color with cream colored stripes. Ralph tilted his head in time with the little creature, something in his thirum pump stuttering when he noticed the ragged scar and the milky white eye upon the kitten’s face.

 

That changed the entire game in an instant.

 

Ralph knelt down, putting the knife away. The little thing was looking at him curiously.

 

“It is alright. Ralph is nice to little friends. Ralph won’t hurt little one. Little one looks like Ralph…” He reached out, his fingers shaking ever so slightly.

 

The sound of joy was barely contained as the kitten sniffed his fingers, then immediately rubbed against them. He could hear the purr sounding in its little chest as it edged its way closer, weaving its way around Ralph’s legs.

 

He sat back, unable to take his eyes off the tiny thing. The kitten clambered its way into his lap, tiny sharp claws pricking his skin and causing an odd sensation as it kneaded at his pants and made itself comfortable.

 

“Yes. Ralph is warm. He will keep you safe from any nasty weather outside. Little one can stay here with Ralph.” He hesitated briefly, then scratched under its chin. Ralph’s heart soared when it began to purr even louder, more than pleased that he wasn’t hurting the small thing.

 

“…Ralph likes that for you. Little One. Can Ralph call you Little One?”

 

The meow in reply was immediately taken as an affirmative.

 

Ralph smiled wider than he ever remembered doing before, scooping up the kitten as he stood and allowing Little One to settle happily into his cloak. He tied it up just so in order to give the kitten a place to snuggle up against his neck and curl up in the warmth. He noticed that Little One was damp, more than likely from the rain outside.

 

“Poor Little One came in here for shelter. Ralph will give Little One shelter. Ralph will protect Little One.” He was happy that someone was listening now, and that it wasn’t just him murmuring to himself.

 

The search for blankets around the house was easy enough. Ralph murmured and spoke softly to the small creature the entire way. He told the little kitten all about himself and told the small thing all about how they could be together.

 

Blankets in his arms, Ralph made his way back towards the hiding cubby, deciding that it was safe and warm enough back there. If he felt secure, then so would Little One. It was strategic, how he laid everything out. A nest of blankets was a must, someplace comfortable for the kitten to rest its head.

 

He was talking out loud about food for the little thing, which he would have to find in the morning. There was no real way for him to really search what exactly it was kittens ate. He assumed from those teeth that they ate meat, which was something Ralph could easily find.

 

His movements staggered suddenly, as if his damaged processors were trying to cycle through information they did not have. It happened sometimes, as if part of him were not right. Sometimes he wondered if that wound on his face had done more than just scar him.

 

The LED cycled quick red—and a soft little paw batted at it suddenly.

 

Ralph blinked rapidly as the tactile action brought him to, finding himself smiling and letting out a small laugh. He was happy he could laugh now.

 

“Little One knows how to make Ralph happy. Good job, Little One.” He carefully extracted the meowing kitten from where it was pawing at his face, holding it out in front of himself. Ralph studied the little thing, watching it meow and kick its tiny legs.

 

He leaned in, kissing the creature’s forehead before gently setting it into the blanket nest and shifting his body to sit beside it.

 

“Ralph will stay here with Little One, if Little One will stay here with Ralph.”

 

The response of Little One curling its tiny body up against his legs and purring as it fell asleep was the best reply he had ever received. Ralph rubbed its head idly, his fingers brushing ever so lightly over the scar marred into fuzzy skin.

 

“…Ralph understands, Little One.” He murmured, no longer just to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me on twitter! @acornandroid


End file.
